Sheet handling machine



March 4, 1941. H. T. BAcKHoUsE 2,233,935

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE Filed June 7, 1959 5 sheds-sheet 1 ATTORNEYS March 4, 1941. H r BACKHQUSE 2,233,935

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE Filed June '7. 1939 5 sheets-sheet 2 l IM L `I n| Irm-J lllllllll l ATTORNEYS Marrh 4, 1941. H. T. BAcKHousE 2,233,935

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE I Filed June 7. 1959 vs sheets-sheet s HHH ATTORNEY 5 March 4, 1941. H. T. BAcKHousE I SHEET HANDLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June '7, 1939 INVENTOR. Henner .5w/msn@ ocawawf Y BY 'java j/udam e! W ATTORNEYS MarCh 4 l941- H. T. BAcKHousE SHEET, HANDLING MACHINE ATTORNEYS Patented 4, 1941 *UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE i Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,853 In Great Britain January 11, 1935 15 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in sheet handling machines, lparticularly but not exclusively sheet feeding devices for printing presses and like machines. In many types of machines for separating sheets in order that they may be forwarded .singly to a printing press or like machine, the separating and forwarding operations are performed by devices employing blasts of air underpressure and by suction devices or by devices employing a combination of air blast and suction, a customary arrangement being to have a-continuously running suction'pump or blower, and the timing of the sucking and blow- 5 separate valves.

According to the present invention a sheet feeding machine is provided in which movable suction devices and devices employing blasts of air under pressure are utilized to separate sheets of paper or the like from a pack and in which these suction and air blast devices are controlled by a single rotary valve common to` a plurality of such devices consisting of a cylindrical rotor rotated within a stator in synchronism with the 25 movements of the suction and air blast devices and having at least two transverse passageways arranged to cooperate in certain positions of the rotor `with ports in the stator and to put said ports into communication one with another, one

30 passageway ,and its associated ports being ap-` propriated to suction and another to pressure. In the case of the suction device it is usually necessary after the device hasrbeen put out of communication with the vacuum pump by the 35 valve to release the remaining suction in the device, and according to a preferred feature of the invention the rotor is provided with passageways arranged to putvone or more of the suction ports into communication with the atmosphere, or with 40 the pressure system, at appropriate positions of therotor. A specific example of a machine embodying the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in longi- 45 tudlnal section of a sheet feeder embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of one of the lifting suckers with its operating means.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view oi one of the air blast nozzles with its supporting and operating means. Y

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross section of the valve 55 controlling the suction and air.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the valve shown in Fig. 5. I Fig. 7 is a transverse cross section on the line 'I-l of Fig. 5.

Fis. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-.8

.o of Fig. 5 with the cover removed.

ing operations being controlled by a plurality of Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line 9-9 cf Fig. 5, also with'the cover removed.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the rotor.

Fig. 11 isan end view of the valve and associated parts of the machine showing the driving means -for the valve, and

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a modified rotor.

'I'his application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 57,547, filed January 4, 1936.

'I'he suckers I0 and I4 and the air blast nozzle I2 may be operated by any suitable means, as for instance by the mechanism herein disclosed, which is substantially the same as that of my Patent No. 2,108,702, issued February 15, 1938. Referring to Fig, 3 of the drawings, I have there illustrated a bell crank I6 supporting at its outer extremity one of the suckers I0. The bell crank is pivotally mounted upon a shaft Il and is actuated by a cam I8 on a cam shaft I9, the latter being rotated continuously at the rate of one revolution for each sheet fed. Since there are two suckers I0 the operating mechanism just described is present in duplicate.

Each of the air blast nozzles I2 has a combined movement upwardly and backwardly in oneV direction and forwardly and downwardly in the other. In Fig. 4 shaft I9 is shown provided with a cam 2|) which operates upon one arm of a bell` crank 2| to produce an up and down movement 30 of the forward end of the other arm thereof. In the free extremity of this latterl arm there is pivotally supported at 22 a short bell crank 23 in which is carried the nozzle I2. The upright arm of bell crank 23 is provided with a cam slot 24 in which is received a roller 25 that is journalled in a fixed bracket 26. This cam slot and roller arrangement imparts to the bell crank 23 an oscillating motion as the bell crank 2| swings upon its pivot, and thus accomplishes the desired compound movement of the nozzle. 'This nozzle operating mechanism is also employed at each of the rear corners of the pile of sheets.

-The suckers Il .have a lsimple forward and backward swinging movement. Each of them is xed to an oscillating shaft 21 that is journalled at its ends in suitable bearings supported by the side frame members. The oscillating motion of this shaft is derived from a crank 28 keyed to the shaft and swungthrough a small arc by a link 29 which is given a longitudinal motion by means of a cam 30 on shaft I9 working against a follower roller 3| rotatable in the link, the rear end of the link being guided by a slot 32 which surrounds the shaft I9.' The follower 3| is held against its cam by suitable means such as a spring, not shown.

In, the operation of the` feeder the topmost sheet S is first contacted by the two corner lifting suckers I0 which descend into engagement with it, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and then rise substantially to the full line position of that flgine. `After the rear edge of the sheet is thus lifted above the level of the pile 9 the nozzles I2 swing forward and downward into engagement with the pile, and the blast is then turned on. Shortly thereafter the suckers I4, then in their full line position, grip the sheet. The suction in suckers I0 is thereupon cut off andthe suckers I4 move forward to advance the sheet. Near the end of their forward movement the suction in suckers I4 is cut off and the sheet is released to other suitable forwarding means, not shown. 'I'he air blast is terminated just before the sheet is released by suckers I4.

Located in al suitable position, preferably centrally of the machine and above the suckers and air blast nozzles, and supported upon hollow ixed cross members 33 and 34, is a bracket 35 which carries a single rotary valve 4I provided with flexible connections to each of the suckers I0 and I4 and air blast nozzles I2. This valve controls the suction or air blast to each of these devices and consists as to its main components of a stator 42 and a rotor 43 closely fitting inside the stator. The rotor has slots 44 formed at one end engaged and driven by a spider 45 on a shaft 46 which is continuously rotated during the operation of the machine by a chain 41 on sprockets 48, 49 and 50, of which 49 is mounted on and driven by shaft I9.

The stator is provided with a set of three ports 52, 53 and 54, of which 52 and 54 are connected to the suction side of an air pump through hollow cross member 34 and 53 to the pressure side through hollow cross member 33. Diametrically opposite to the ports 52, 53 and 54 is a further set of ports 55, 56 and 51 leading to chambers 58, 59 and 60 in the stator body and closed by a cover plate 10. A further port 6I is also provided opposite to the port 53, which latter port extends around an appreciable part of the circumference of the stator. Connections to the Various suckers .are taken from the chambers 58 and 60 by means of flexible tubes Il and I5 fitted over nipples 62 in the cover plate 10,'and connections to the blast nozzles I2 are also made by means of flexible tubes I3 over nipples 63.

The rotor which is hollow is divided into three chambers 64, 65 and 66 by transverse diaphragms and each of these chambers is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed ports 61, 68 and 69, these ports being suitably spaced to cooperate with the ports 52-55, 53--56-6I and 54-51 respectively inthe stator. It will beseen that as the rotor rotates it puts the ports 52, 53 and 54 into communication with the ports 55, 56-6I and 51 respectively, the ports in the rotor being located at suitable relative positions around the circumference of the rotor so that the various communications are made at the desired times for the. correct operation of the machine.

In this instance I have located the pressure ports in the middle and the suctionl ports on the ends of the rotor, which arrangement tends to produce a balanced condition of the rotor, the ports 52, 53 and 54 being substantially in alignment, so that their suction and pressure effects lon the rotor are in opposition to each other. Of

course this arrangement could be reversed to provide a set of pressure ports on each end and a set of suction ports in the middle of the rotor, and so far as the broader aspects of the invention are concerned the arrangement of suction and pressure ports relatively to each other is of secondary importance.

In order that the suction remaining in the in the external surface of the rotor and are arranged at the appropriate times to connect the ports 55 and 51 to passages 13 and 14 leading to the atmosphere.

The release of the suction in the chambers 58 and 60 can be effected morequickly by connecting the passages 13 and 14 to the pressure system. Alternatively, a rotor as shown in Fig. l2 can be employed. In this rotor the longitudinal grooves 1I and 12 communicate at their inner ends with grooves 11 and 18 which extend partly around the rotor and which lead to grooves 19 and 80 respectively. The latter grooves also extend longitudinally of the rotor but are disposed on the side of the grooves 11 and 18 opposite to the grooves 1I and 12 so as to communicate at the proper time with the port 53 in the stator. If this rotor is provided, the passages 13 and 14 are unnecessary.

The rotor is held against longitudinal displacement with respect to the stator.by means of a cover plate 15 (which also acts as a bearing for the shaft 46) at one end of the stator and at the other end by means of a retaining bar 16 which may readilybe released to allow the rotor to be withdrawn. By virtue of this construction rotors with this port arrangement may be employed interchangeably.

In the construction shown in the drawings the rotor has a pair of ports corresponding to each pair of ports in the stator, and the arrangement of the ports is such that the valve operates twice in each revolution of the rotor. It will be appreciated that in this case the speed of the rotor must be such that the valve operates once in each cycle of operations of the machine. By increasing the number of the ports in the rotor associated with each pair of ports in the stator the speed at which the rotor has to be driven can be correspondingly reduced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A sheet feeder adapted to feed sheets in lapped relation from the top of a supply of sheets, comprising moving suction devices disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of .thesheet path above the rear portion of rthe topmost sheet and operated vto feed each topmost sheet in turn from the supply, air blast devices also disposed on opposite sides of said center line adjacent the rear portion of said topmost sheet for assisting Ithe separation of the same, valve means for controlling the suction and air blast in said devices arranged substantially on said center line tothe rear of the center of the topmost sheet, pneumatic connections from said devices to said Avalve means, and mechanism for opera-ting said Valve means in synchronism with the movements of said suction devices.

2. A sheet feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic connections to the suction devices are attached to the valve Imeans symmetrically with respect to said center line and the pneumatic connections to the air blast device are likewise attached to the valve means symmetrically with respect to said center line.

3. A sheet feeder for separating andfeeding sheets in lapped relation from the top of a supply of sheets, comprising suction sheet lifting means and suction sheet feeding means both disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the sheet path and above the sheet supply at the rear thereof, valve means common to the suction sheet lifting and feeding means and arranged substantially on said .center line above and .at fthe rear of said sheet supply, pneumatic connections between the valve means and the suction sheetlifting and feeding means, and mechanism for operating said valvel means in synchronism with the sheet lifting and feeding actions of said suction sheet lifting and feeding means.

4. A sheet feeder for separating and feedin sheets in lapped relation from the top of a supply of sheets, comprising a sheet lifting sucker disposed on each side of the longitudinal center line of the sheet pathand a sheet feeding sucker on each side of said path, all of said suckers being disposed above the rear portion of the topmost sheet of the supply to lift and feed the same, an air blast device also disposed on each side of said center line adjacent the rear of said topmost sheet for assisting in the separation thereof, valve means common to said suction and air blast devices arranged substantially on said center line and to the rear of Ithe center of the topmost sheet, pneumatic connections from said devices to said valve means, and mechanism for operating said valve means in synchronism with the lifting and feeding movements of said suckers.

5. A sheet feeder as claimed in claim 4, wherein the Ipneumatic connections to the suction devices of like kind are attached tothe valve means symmetrically with respect to said center line, and wherein the pneumatic connections to the blast devices are likewise attached to the valve means symmetrically with respect to said center line.

6. In a sheet feeder, a plurality of moving suction devices for feeding sheets from a supply thereof, a plurality of air blast devices having sheet separating functions, valve means common. to said suction and air blast devices comprising a stator having a plurality of chambers therein including at least one suction chamber and one pressure chamber, separate pneumatic connections between each suction device and a suction chamber, separate pneumatic connections' between each air blast device and a pressure chamber, and mechanism for operating said valve means in synchronism with the movements of said suction devices.

7. Mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein said suction and air blast devices are arranged to have operation on the rear portion of the topmost sheet of the supply for feeding the sheets invlapped relation, said valve means being arranged substantially on the center line of the sheet path and above and to the rear of the center of the topmost sheet.

8. In a sheet feeder, a plurality of sheet lifting suckers, a plurality of sheet forwarding suckers, 4a plurality of air blast devices, a single valve common to all of said suckers and'air blast devices comprising a st`ator having three pairs of transversely spaced ports in its walls the ports of each pair being adapted to be brought into communication periodically by the movements of the valve, said stator further being formed with three chambers therein each connected to one port of a pair and each extending on both sides of the transverse center of the valve, separate pneumatic connections between each of said lifting suckers and one of said chambers, separate pneumatic connections between each of said forwarding suckers and another of said chambers, separate pneumatic connections -between each of said air blast devices andthe third chamber, said pneumatic connections to each chamber being symmetrically arranged about said transverse center of said valve, and means forv operating the valve to bring the ports of the respective pairs into communication periodically in'synchronism with the lifting and forwarding movements of said suckers.

9. In a machine for feeding sheets from the top of a supply of sheets, a plurality of suction devices arranged to operate upon the rear porp tion of the topmost sheet of the supply, a shaft for imparting movement to said suction devices adapted to be journaled at its ends in bearings supported by the frame of the machine, a bracket through which said shaft extends, and valve means for controlling the suction in said devices mounted on said bracket.

10. In a sheet feeder for feeding sheets in lapped relation from the top of a supply of sheets, sheet separating and feeding mechanism operating upon the rear portion of the topmost sheet of the supply comprising air blast devices to the rear of the supply and` suction devices disposed above the rear portion of the supply, valve means for controlling said devices disposed within the lateral limits of the sheet path above ,and to the rear of the center of the supply, and

supporting means for said devices and said valve means extending transversely of the feeder.

11. In a machine for feeding sheets from the top of a supply of sheets, a plurality of pneumatic devices disposed at the rear of the topmost sheet of .the supply and arranged to operate upon the topmost sheet of the supply. operating means for said pneumatic devices comprising a member extending transversely of the machine, a bracket through which said member extends, and valve means for controlling the pneumatic action of said devices mounted on said bracket. i

12. A sheet feeder for feeding sheets in lapped relation from the top of a supply of sheets comprising a plurality of suction devices arranged to grip the rear portion of the topmost sheet of the supply and forward said sheet from the supply, a plurality of air blast devices having sheet separating functions arranged at the rear of said topmost sheet, operating means for said suction and air blast -devices including a plurality of members extending transversely of the feeder above and to the rear of the center of said topmost sheet, a bracket through which said members extend, and valve means for controlling the action of said suction and 'air blast devices mountedv on said bracket.

13. A sheet feeder as claimed in claim 12 wherein said bracket is disposed substantially on the center line of the path ofthe sheets.

14. A sheet feeder Vas claimed in claim. l2 wherein said transversely extending members comprise a hollow tube for supplying suction to said suction devices and a hollow tube for supplying air under pressure to. said air blast devices, andA said bracket embracing said tubes at a point substantially along the center line of the path of the sheets.

l5. A sheet feeder as claimed in claim l2 wherein said transversely extending members comprise a cam shaft for imparting movement of certain of said devices, and-said bracket embraces said cam shaft ata point substantially on the center line of the path of the sheets.

HEADLEY TOWNSEND BACKHOUSE. 

